CAN TERRORIST ACTS BE PROSECUTED AS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY? AN ANALYSIS UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND TURKISH LAW

The purpose of this study is to explore whether it is possible or not to qualify, and try, terrorist acts as “crimes against humanity”. In order to delimit the scope of the study, I have not sought to answer the question regarding the meaning of a “terrorist act” since this constitutes the object of a separate study; I have only mentioned the debates on the issue under international and domestic law. Instead, I have researched whether it is possible or not to incorporate acts that are commonly regarded in public opinion and the press as “terrorist attacks” into the category of crimes against humanity. As a result, I have explained, with reference to international academic writings and case-law, that while it is not possible to qualify every terrorist act per se as a crime against humanity, it is possible for terrorist acts fulfilling certain conditions to constitute a crime against humanity. I have particularly dealt with the main subsumption and interpretation problems posed by the effort to incorporate terrorist attacks into the category of crimes against humanity. Further, I have discussed the specific problems posed in this regard by the definition of crimes against humanity embodied in Art. 77 of the Turkish Penal Code (Law no. 5237). Therefore, I have sought to answer the main question under both customary international law and Turkish penal law. Finally, I have dealt with the legal and political advantages of qualifying terrorist attacks as crimes against humanity, and argued why Turkey should opt for this course.

TERÖR EYLEMLERİ İNSANLIĞA KARŞI SUÇ OLARAK YARGILANABİLİR Mİ? ULUSLARARASI HUKUK VE TÜRK HUKUKU ALTINDA BİR İNCELEME

Bu makalenin amacı, terör eylemlerinin “insanlığa karşı suç” olarak nitelendirilmesinin ve bu kapsamda yargılanmasının mümkün olup olmadığını değerlendirmektir. Çalışma kapsamını sınırlandırmak amacıyla, aslında ayrı bir çalışmanın konusunu teşkil etmesi gereken “terör eylemi nedir?” sorusunun cevabı aranmamıştır; sadece konuya dair ulusal ve uluslararası hukuktaki tartışmalara değinilmiştir. Kamouyunda ve basında herkesçe “terör saldırısı” olarak ortak kabul gören türden eylemlerden hareketle, bunların insanlığa karşı suç kategorisine dahil edilip edilmeyeceğini araştırdım. Keza, insanlığa karşı suçun anlamını başka çalışmalarımda zaten ele aldığım için, söz konusu suçun unsurlarını sadece ana hatlarıyla özetlemekle yetindim Netice olarak, her terör eyleminin başlı başına insanlığa karşı suç olarak nitelendirilmesi mümkün olmasa da, belirli koşulları haiz terörist saldırıların insanlığa karşı suç kapsamına gireceği, uluslararası literatüre ve içtihada atıfla, izah edilmiştir. Terör saldırılarını insanlığa karşı suç kategorisine dahil etmek bakımından karşılaşılan başlıca altlama ve yorum sorunlarına özellikle değinilmiştir. Keza, 5237 sayılı Türk Ceza Kanunu’nun 77. maddesindeki insanlığa karşı tanımının bu hususta ortaya çıkardığı özel sorunlar da tartışılmıştır. Bu bakımdan, hem uluslararası örfi hukuk hem de Türk Ceza Hukuku ışığında ana sorunsalın cevabı araştırılmıştır. Son olarak, terör saldırılarını insanlığa karşı suç olarak nitelendirmenin hukuki ve siyasi açıdan sağlayacağı faydalar ele alınmış; Türkiye’nin neden bu yolu tercih etmesi gerektiği tartışılmıştır.

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